Internal-combustion engine.



H. J. WARNER.: If\lTERlIl/\L- COMBUSTION ENGINE APPLICATION FILED msc.I. me.

.Patented Apr. 23, 19l8.

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. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPUcATloN FILED nEc.1.191s.

Lwm. r Patented Apr. 23, 1918.

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APPLICATION FILED DEC. I |916.

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HVIEY d'. WARNER, 'OF TKOMA PARK, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNO T0 THEII. S. AVIATION AND AUTO OO., OF DENVER, COLORADO, A. CORPORATION.

INTRNAL-CONIBUSTION ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 23, IOI.

Application filed December 1, 1916. Serial No. 134,441.

To all (whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARVEY J. WARNER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Takoma Park, in the District of Columbia, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Internal-Combustion Engines; andI do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description`of the in,- vention, such as will enable others skilled in the art towhich it appertains to make and use the same.

` My invention relates more particularly to internal combustion enginesof the rotating cylinder type designed primarily for use on aeroplanesand other air craft although the improved features of construction arenot limited to this type ofengine.

0n account of the fact that the two-cycle engine is capable of creatinga greater number of working strokes per revolution than the four-cycle,this engine should be by far the most efficient for high speed work butthe two-cycle engines of the types now in use are not so constructed asto permit them to operate effectively when constructed with rotatingrather than xed cylinders. Furthermore, with the common type of twocycle`engine in which the incoming charge :expels the exhaust gases, there isa great waste of power since the lincoming mixture is more or lessexpelled prematurely before being compressed and fired. It is thereforethe object of my invention to so improve upon the construction oftwo-cycle engines as to render them highly efficient and capa-I ble ofdeveloping an unusually high speed whether they be constructed withfixed or rotating cylinders.

, With the foregoing general object in view,

the invention resides in certain novel features of construction endunique combinations of parts to be hereinafter fully described andclaimed, the descriptive matter fixed abutments which operate inconjunction with the hollow piston; and

Figs. 5., 6 and 7 aredetail transverse sec- -tions through one cylinderon the planes of the lines 5 5, (3*6 and 7-7 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings above briefly described, the numeral l has reference toa crank shaft held against rotation in any suitable manner, the ends ofsaid shaft being shown as provided with lplates 2 rigidly securedthereto and carried by the inner ends of radially disposed supportingarms 3 which are preferably anchored at their outer ends to a circularguard 4f within which the engine cyl inders rotate. 'Ihe shaft 1 isprovided with a main crank 5 extending in one direction and a pair ofauxiliary cranks 6 extending approximately in the opposite direction andthe usual port 7 is formed through a portion of said shaft for admittingan explosive mixture from the carburetei' 8 into the crank case 9 whichis rotatably supported on the shaft 1l between the main and auxiliarycranks.

A plurality of cylinders 10 radiate from the crank case 9 andcommunicate therewith, each cylinder having therein an inner piston 11and an outer piston 12, both of which are hollow with open ends disposedtoward the ends of the cylinder. A master connecting rod 13 extends intothe crank case from one of the pistons 11 and carries a master bearing14 on its inner end which is mounted on the main crank 5 of the shaft 1.rIhe connecting rods 13a of the other pistons 11 are pivoted to themaster bearing 14 in the usual manner. Y

The outer pistons 12 are carried by shaft-s 15` which extendtherethrough and through longitudinal slotslG in the outer ends of thecylinders 10, one of said shafts 15 being carried by a pair of masterconnecting rods 17 having master bearings 18 on their inner vendsmounted on the auxiliary cranks 6 of the shaft 1. The other shafts 15are carried by connecting rods 17u. which are pivoted to the masterbearings 18. 'Ihis arrangement causes the inner and outer pistons tomovev ice Imi

therewith in forming air and gas 'pumps which respectively scavenge thecylinders of burnt gases and fill them with anA explosive charge atproper intervals. Each abutment 19 is provlded with a pair ofcomparatively resilient legs 20 normally spaced a greater distance attheir free ends than the internal diameter of the cylinders, wherebysaid legs Awhen forced toward each other will be placed under tension.so that laterally extending feet 21 on the free ends of said legs willbe effectively held in sockets 22 formed lon the interior of thecylinders. This construction readily holds the abutments 19 in operativeposition yet permits them to be easily removed when required.

The outer ends of the pistons 12 have formed therein yair inlet ports 23of a width greater than the thiclmessof the abutments 19 so that as saidpistons recede from their respective abutments, a partial vacuum will becreated which will be immediately filled with air when the ports 23reach the position shown at the lower end of Fig. 1. As

f the pistons 12 now move toward the abutments 19 the trapped air willbe compressed and at the proper time ports 241 in the inner ends of saidpistons will permit this air to discharge into by-passes 25l which leadinto the cylinders 10, this inrush of air being adapted to drive theexhaust gases from the cylinders through the exhaust ports 26 which areuncovered by the pistons 12 (see the upper end of Fig. 1).

The'inner ends of the inner pistons 11l are formed with ports 27 whichestablish communication between the interior of said pistons and thecrank case 9 when the former have receded a predetermined amount from-ktheir respective abutments 19 (see the lower end of Fig. 1). When theports 27 of. any piston are opened in this manner, explosive mixture isdrawn from the crank case into said piston and as said 'piston thenmoves toward its abutment as indicated at the left of Fig. l, thismixture will be compressed.

Then, at Athe proper time, a port 28 at the outer end of piston 11registers with a short by-pass 29 so as to permit the compressedmixtureto be forced into the cylinder (see the upper end of Fig. 1).This injection of explosive mixture takes place immediately after theair from the outer piston 12 l has been forced into the cylinder toscavenge the same of burnt gases so thatas the cylmean time filledrespectively with gas and air. The force of this explosion moves thecylinder toward position B, in which position, however, the force of theexpanding gases is not exhausted, this force acting not only to rotatethe entire setl of cylinders but to compress the gas and air trappedrespectively in the pistons 11 and 12. Just before the position C isreached the outer piston uncovers the exhaust ports 26, allowing thegases to escape and a little later but still before position C isreached the port 24 has registered with the by-pass 25 and thecompressed, air from piston 12 has been discharged into the cylinder toforce the burnt gases from the exhaust ports 26 and the port 28 hasregistered with the bypass 29, thus conducting the compressed gas frompiston 11 into the cylinder. As the cylinder now moves toward position Dthe pistons 11 and 12 travel toward each other, close all ports andcompress the new charge of mixture in readiness for iring at position A.As the cylinder moves from C t0- ward A the pistons 11 and 12 recedefrom their respective abntments 19 so as to create a partial vacuum andthe moment this vacuum is relieved by opening of the ports `23 and 27,thetwo pistons again fill respectively with gas and air.

The improved engine operating ,in the manner above described willdevelop not only great horse power but unusually high sp'eed withoutloss of gas, and due to the pump actions at both the inner and outerends of the cylinders, the latter are maintained at an extremely lowtemperature. These pumps also serve as cushions to prevent loosevibration of the pistons and therefore cause the engine to run smoothlyregardless of the high speed at which it operates. Furthermore, sinceall pistons are hollow, and are extremely light and rotate around acommon center, the centrifugal force acting thereon is balanced andreduced to a minimum. A further advantage is that the improvedarrangement of pistons allows a great expansion of gases with shortpiston travel and the pistons traveling in opposite directions will notreceive such forcible shocks from the explosion as in the ordinaryengine in which one piston moves toward and from a fixed cylinder' head.The pistons may therefore be made lighter and the ports will remain opena longer time at the same speed than in the usual types of twocycleengines.

The improved engine may be employed wherever applicable and power may betaken therefrom in any suitable manner, a sprocket wheel 31 being shownin Fig. 2, for illustrative purposes. said wheel being secured to one ofa pair of easings 32 which are carried by the crank case 9 and surroundthe auxiliary cranks 6 of the shaft 1.

Particular emphasis is laid upon the fact that pumps are provided at theinner and outer ends of the cylinders on account of the advantages abovepointed out and upon the unique construction of the abutments 19 wherebythey may be quickly and easily attached or detached whenever necessary.The' general construction shown is comparatively simple yet highlyyeflicient and for these reasons constitutes the preferred embodiment ofthe improved engine but it is to be understood that within the scope ofthe inventionl ,A free ends sprung into sockets in the cy inder, meansfor admitting air into one piston as it recedes from its abutment andfor directing said air into the cylinder as said piston moves towardsaid abutment, whereby to scavenge the cylinder of burnt gases, meansfor admitting an explosive mixture into the other piston as it recedesfrom its abutment and for directing this mixture into the cylinder assaid last named piston travels toward its abutment, and means connectingsaid pistons for causing them to move inwardly and outwardly in unison.

2. An internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder, a pair ofhollowpistons in said cylinder having open ends disposed toward theends-thereof, fixed abutments disposed in said pistons, resilient legs'extending from said abutments andihaving laterally extending feet attheir free endssprung into sockets in the cylinder, means for a'dmittingair into one piston as it recedes from its abutment and for directingsaid air into the cylinder as. said piston moves toward said abutmentwhereby to scavenge the' cylinder of burnt gases, means for admitting anexplosive mixture into the other piston as it recedes from its abutmentand for directing this mixture intov the cylinder as said last namedpiston travels toward" its abutment, and means connecting saidpistons'for causing them to move inwardly and outwardly in unison. v v,l

8. An internal combustion engine having a hollow piston open at one end,an abutment in said piston and forming therewith a gas or air pump, andresilient legs extending from said abutment and having their free endssprung into internal sockets in the cylinder.

4l. An internal combustion engine having a. hollow piston open at oneend, an abutment in said piston and forming therewith a gas or air pump,and resilient legs extending from said abutment and having laterallyextending feet at their free ends sprung into internal sockets in thecylinder.

5. An abutment for use in a hollow piston of a gas engine to formtherewith a pump, said abutmentJ comprising a circular head, and aplurality of resilient legs extending from one side of said head forengagement with the engine cylinder to secure said abutment in place.

6.1 An abutment for use in a hollow piston of a gas engine to formtherewith a pump, said abutment comprising a circular head, a pluralityof resilient legs extending from one side of said head, and laterallyextending feet on thefree ends of said legs for engagement with theengine cylinder to liold the abutment in place.

7. An engine comprising a cylinder, a hollow piston therein, and arelatively fixed abutment in said piston forming therewith fan air.orgas pump, said piston` having an inlet port of dimensions to form aby-pass around said abutment and having an outlet port for deliveringinto the cylinder.

8. ln a rotating-cylinder engine, the combination of a fixed crankshaft, a crank case rotatable thereon and carrying a plurality ofradially disposed cylinders in communication with said case, hollowpistons in the inner and outer ends of said cylinders and opening towardthe ends thereof, relatively iixed abutments in said pistons, saidpistons having inlet ports in their curved sides of dimensions to formby-passes around the abutments for admitting air and gas respectivelyinto the outer and inner pistons, and also having outlet ports fordischarging said air and gas into the cylinder to respectively 'scavengeand recharge the same', and means operatively connecting said pistonsand the crank shaft for moving said pistons inwardly and outwardly'inunison.

lin testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses,

y HARVEY J. WARNER.

Witnesses z J. A. GRIESBAUER, C. A. GIOVANNETTI.

